Brussels calls for faster planning, will Ireland listen? Recently, the European Parliament backed proposals aimed at accelerating housing delivery, including faster planning approvals, tax incentives for development and measures designed to reduce regulatory barriers that slow construction. This conversation is long overdue in Ireland, where housing supply remains a decade behind demand. The European Parliament’s call for faster planning approvals reflects a growing recognition that bureaucracy has become one of the hidden drivers of housing shortages across the continent. Brussels is signalling urgency through shorter planning deadlines, streamlined environmental assessments and simplified approval frameworks intended to unlock housing projects much faster.

Source: The Herald March 18, 2026 16:00 UTC